ROK and Inter-Korean relations June 2005

ROK and Inter-Korean relations

June 2005

1 in 4 rural grooms married foreigners
June 28, 2005 ? More than a quarter of the men in rural Korea who got married last year took a foreign bride, according to the National Tax Service. The agency said that 6,629 men living in rural areas got married last year, of whom 27.4 percent married foreign women. Eight hundred ninety-seven of the brides were from China, 550 from Vietnam and 195 from the Philippines.
Sake makes comeback as gentler rice liquor
June 28, 2005 ? In the land where Korean soju rules, anything but the lethal liquor becomes a sidekick. Yet for years, those who prefer the gentle taste of Asian rice wine, served hot or cold, over conversation have opted for sake in izakaya ? ubiquitous Japanese taverns. For centuries, drinking sake was part of Korean culture.
GNP Urges NK to Address Humanitarian Issues
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter Rep. Park Geun-hye Rep. Park Geun-hye Monday called on North Korea to address its humanitarian issues, including South Korean prisoners-of-war (POWs) and reunion services for the peninsula's separated families, in return for Seoul's humanitarian aid.
Seoul Seeks to Discuss POWs With North in Aug.
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday that South Korea would enter into earnest discussion with North Korea in August over the thorny issues of South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) and the civilian abductees believed to be living in the North.
Kaesong Project Produces First Inter-Korean Love Story
By Lee Jin-woo & Reuben Staines Staff Reporters With the growing economic, social and cultural engagement between South and North Korea, it's inevitable that relationships of a more personal kind will also develop. A news report published by a vernacular daily describing a South Korean man who is considering marrying a North Korean woman captured the public's imagination yesterday, despite claims that the newspaper distorted the facts. Maeil Business Newspaper reported that a 29-year- old South Korean employee of SJ Tech, an electronic components manufacturer operating in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, has fallen in love with a North Korean worker.
S, N Writers to Hold First Joint Meeting
By Park Chung-a Staff Reporter Writers from North and South Korea will hold a joint meeting in the North in July, their first since the division of the two Koreas in 1945, according to South Korean organizers Monday. The Association of Writers for National Literature announced yesterday that their North Korean counterpart, the Choson Writers' Alliance, agreed last week to its proposal to hold a series of meetings from July 20 to 25 in Pyongyang, Mt. Myohyang and Mt. Paekdu in North Korea. The meetings are in commemoration of the joint declaration announced on June 15, 2000, at the inter-Korean summit. The meeting was originally to be held last August but was canceled at the last minute due to political tension at the time.
Seoul Must Get Tough on NK: Lee Hoi-chang
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter Defeated presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang urged the government on Sunday to get tough with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programs. Lee, who ran on the main opposition Grand National Party's ticket in the 2002 presidential election, said South Korea should forthrightly warn the communist North of the serious consequences if it refuses to abandon its nuclear ambitions. ``Seoul must be prepared to wield a stick if, indeed, the situation warrants,'' he said in a thesis written during his stay as visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution in California.
Some political observers believe Lee, who also ran in and lost the 1997 presidential poll, may be preparing to launch a third bid for Chong Wa Dae in 2007.
3 N. Koreans Defect to South
Three North Koreans, all believed to be family members, crossed the western maritime border by boat yesterday to defect to South Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The defectors were taken to a military facility on Paengnyong Island for investigation, the JCS said. One male, one female and one child were found aboard the 1-ton boat in South Korean waters 2.9 miles northeast of the island at about 10 a.m., it said. The North Koreans said they left from a small North Korean port called Kumipo at dawn on Saturday to escape poverty, the JCS said.
War Anniversary Stirs Bitter Memories
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter Old, bitter memories stirred as Koreans on both sides of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone marked the 55th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War on Saturday. In Pyongyang, thousands of North Koreans turned out to an anti-U.S. rally, alleging that Washington started the war and charging its soldiers of committing brutal wartime atrocities, the country's state-run media reported.
42% of Koreans say another war is possible here
June 25, 2005 ? According to a poll by the Joong- Ang Ilbo, 42 percent of South Koreans say they believe another war could take place on the Korean Peninsula, with many believing North Korea and the United States would be responsible for it. Marking the 55th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, the newspaper conducted a random telephone survey of 767 men and women over 18 years old. The respondents include 189 persons in their 20s, 179 in their 30s, 169 in their 40s and 230 older than 50. With a confidence level of 95 percent, the poll's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Among those who said another war is possible, 49 percent said the North will likely be responsible for a second Korean War, while 37 percent picked the United States. The survey asked respondents if they knew what year the Korean War started. Two thirds gave the correct answer: 1950. Among those in their 20s, only 46 percent knew the year. [SK attitude NK] [SK attitude US] [Threat]
Talks result brought pact on 12 points
June 25, 2005 ? In ministerial talks this week between North and South Korea, the two countries came to a 12-point agreement, laying out a schedule for more meetings on economic assistance, military cooperation, humanitarian aid and history projects. The following is the list of the accords. 1. The two Koreas will send government delegations to the Aug. 15 South-North Joint Celebration of the National Liberation Day that will be held in the South. The working-level talks covering the event will be held next month in Kaesong. 2. It was agreed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was an ultimate goal and the two sides said they would undertake to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue through dialogue as soon as a favorable atmosphere for the six-party talks is realized. 3. Reunions for families separated by the Korean War will begin again at Mount Kumgang starting from Aug. 26. It was agreed to hold Red Cross talks in August to discuss humanitarian issues, including efforts to determine the fate of those still missing from the Korean War. 4. A video reunion is to be organized on a trial basis on Aug. 15, National Liberation Day. The working-level talks for the video reunion will be held in early July in Kaesong. 5. The sides jointly confirmed that the 1905 Eulsa Protectorate Treaty, under which Japan annexed Korea, was invalid. They also will seek to recover the "Bukgwandaechobbi," an ancient stone tablet commemorating a Korean military victory over Japan, now kept at the Yasukuni war shrine. They agreed to jointly pursue the project of recovering the remains of Ahn Jung- geun, a Korean patriot who assassinated a Japanese statesman in 1909. 6. It was agreed to hold talks among military generals at Mount Paektu, and a specific date will be mutually decided later. 7. Maritime cooperation talks are to be held next month. 8. Agricultural cooperation talks will take place next month. 9. North Korean civilian vessels will be allowed to pass through the strait between Jeju and the mainland. 10. The South will provide the North with food assistance on humanitarian grounds. 11. The Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee is to be held July 9-12 in Seoul. 12. The next ministerial talks are to be convened Sept. 13-16, at Mount Paektu, North Korea and it was decided to hold the 17th round of ministerial talks in December in the South. by Ser Myo-ja
Roh Moo Hyun Meets North Side's Delegation
Seoul, June 23 (KCNA Correspondent) -- President of south Korea Roh Moo Hyun Thursday met the north side's delegation led by Kwon Ho Ung, chief councilor of the DPRK Cabinet, attending the 15th north-south ministerial talks. On hand were Minister of Unification Jong Tong Yong who is chief delegate of the south side's delegation and other officials concerned of the south side. The president noted he felt thankful to Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission Kim Jong Il for receiving his special envoy and his party that participated in the June 15 grand festival for reunification and saying meaningful words related to the development of the inter-Korean relations. Saying that Kim Jong Il's reception of his special envoy has brought the talks to a success, Roh underscored the need for the south and the north to advance together towards prosperity and overcome the division. The president asked the head of the delegation to convey his regards to Kim Jong Il.
Joint Press Release on 15th Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks Issued
Pyongyang, June 24 (KCNA) -- A joint press release was published at the 15th North-South Ministerial Talks held in Seoul Thursday. According to it, both sides appreciated the successes made in the bilateral relations over the past five years since the publication of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and have agreed as follows on promoting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula in the idea of "By our nation itself", the core of the joint declaration: 1. The north and the south decided to dispatch delegations of their authorities to the August 15 national joint functions to be held in the area of the south side and hold a working contact for this in Kaesong within July. 2. The north and the south agreed to take substantial measures to seek a negotiated and peaceful solution to the nuclear issue with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as an ultimate goal, depending on the atmosphere to be created to do so. 3. The north and the south decided to arrange the reunions of separated families and relatives at Mt. Kumgang resort from August 26. They, at the same time, agreed to hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Mt. Kumgang Reunion Centre and finish the measurement and geological survey within July to this end. They also agreed to open the sixth round of the Inter-Korean Red Cross talks within August to discuss such humanitarian issues as the issue of ascertaining the whereabouts of those reported missing during the Korean war. 4. The north and the south decided to start helping separated families and relatives appear on TV screens to see each other on an experimental basis on the occasion of the August 15 liberation day and have a working contact for it in Kaesong around July 10. 5. The north and the south confirmed the illegality and invalidity of the "Ulsa Five-Point Treaty" this year which marks the centenary of the fabrication of the treaty by the Japanese imperialists. For the present both sides agreed to work for Japan's return of the "monument to the victory in the battle fought in the northern area of Korea" and take a technical measure to this end. And they decided to jointly push forward the retrieval of the remains of martyr An Jung Gun. 6. The north and the south agreed on the premise that the third round of the inter-Korean military authorities' talks will be opened in Mt. Paektu in the future and decided to recommend the inter-Korean military authorities to fix the definite date of the talks. 7. The north and the south agreed to form and operate a panel for cooperation in fisheries under the North-South Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation to ensure peace in the West Sea and hold fishery talks within July to discuss and settle the issues related to cooperation in fisheries including joint fishing. 8. The north and the south agreed to form and operate the "North-South Committee for Agricultural Cooperation" with vice-ministers as its co-chairmen within the framework of the inter-Korean ministerial talks for the purpose of promoting cooperation in the field of agriculture and hold its first meeting in Kaesong around mid-July. 9. The north and the south agreed to allow civilian ships of the north side to pass the Jeju Strait and discuss and settle specific technical issues to this end. 10. The south side decided to supply food to the north side from the compatriotic and humanitarian point of view and handle detailed procedures at the 10th meeting of the North- South Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation. 11. The north and the south decided to hold the 10th meeting of the North-South Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation in Seoul from July 9 to 12 and accordingly take measures to positively promote the economic cooperation. 12. The north and the south agreed to hold the 16th North-South Ministerial Talks in Mt. Paektu from Sept. 13 to 16, 2005 and the 17th talks in the south side's area within December.
North Side's Delegation Back from Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks
Pyongyang, June 24 (KCNA) -- The north side's delegation led by Kwon Ho Ung, chief councilor of the DPRK Cabinet, came back Friday after participating in the 15th inter-Korean ministerial talks held in Seoul. It was greeted at the airport by Kim Yong Jin, minister of Education, Kim Yong Ho, chief secretary of the DPRK Cabinet, An Kyong Ho, director of the Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and officials concerned.
NK Changes Negotiation Tactics Toward South
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter North Korean officials returned home yesterday after their four-day ministerial talks here with their Southern counterparts, leaving their hosts content and, more importantly, hopeful for future talks after a change in negotiation tactics. The latest Cabinet-level talks, which came after a one-year hiatus, produced a 12-point joint press statement, which experts expected would accelerate inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation. From the North's nuclear problem to the thorny issue of South Korean prisoners of war (POWs), the statement included almost all matters needing to be addressed in the coming months, though it fell short of fixing a date for a new round of six-party nuclear talks.
Senior Cabinet Councilor Kwon Ho-ung, the North's chief delegate to the Seoul meeting, also repeated the words of his ``Dear Leader'' as South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun expressed gratitude for the early conclusion at Chong Wa Dae just prior to the release of the statement. ``Chairman Kim instructed us to avoid needless confrontation to save face,'' Kwon said. ``Things went well this time as Minister Chung and I held negotiations in that spirit.''
Historic Inchon Landing Operation Commemorated
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter The U.S. 5th Marines use ladders as they prepare a landing assault at Red Beach in Inchon, in this Sept. 15, 1950 file photo. Hundreds of supporters have come together to promote a project to commemorate the landing, on Sept. 15, 1950 in the country's western port city of Inchon during the 1950-53 Korean War. About 200 members of a committee, tentatively named the ``Committee Calling for the Establishment of Incheon Landing Operation Commemoration Project,'' held a promotion meeting at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul yesterday. ``Although only 55 years have passed since the war happened, many people seem to have already forgotten it,'' said Lee Han-soo, former president of a vernacular newspaper Seoul Shinmun, in a speech during the meeting. ``We should not forget the past since it greatly contributed to the establishment of the democratic and liberal society we live in.''
Some 450 people active in all walks of life are collaborating to promote the project. Among those who attended yesterday's meeting were former Labor Minister Lee Hun-ki, Yoon Kook-byung, former president-publisher of The Korea Times, and Choi Dhong-hou. president of the University of Sejong Cyber. The famous Inchon amphibious landing was staged by the South Korean and U.N. troops under U.S. General Douglas MacArthur. With the landing, allied forces succeeded in regaining the capital Seoul from the Communist troops on Sept. 28, 1950. [Media] [Korean War events]
Declaration Adopted to Promote DMZ as Global Symbol of Peace
By Lee Yong-sung Staff Reporter Some 160 noted figures, scholars and activists visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Friday and adopted a declaration to promote the heavily fortified area as a global symbol of peace and a clean environment. The participants, including former Prime Minister Goh Kun, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, UNEP Deputy Executive Director Shafqat Kakahel and Kim Jin-Sun, governor of Kangwon Province, visited the Hill of Peace in Inje, Kangwon Province, which belongs to the DMZ.
North, South in accord for wide-ranging talks
June 24, 2005 ? Ending three days of ministerial talks, representatives of North and South Korea said yesterday they had reached a general agreement to hold talks in July and August on ways to reduce military tension on the peninsula, on promoting reunions of families separated by the Korean War and on rice aid to Pyongyang. North Korea's chief delegate, cabinet councilor Kwon Ho-ung, and Unification Minister Chung Dong- young of South Korea issued a 12-point statement last night, saying that North Korea will send a government delegation to the Aug. 15 Liberation Day celebration in Seoul. The day marks Korea's independence from Japan's colonial rule in 1945.
Lip service from the North
[EDITORIALS] The 15th inter-Korean ministerial meeting held in Seoul concluded yesterday. Its significance is that it has revived an official channel between the South and the North after more than a year's suspension. An absence of dialogue was of no help in reducing tension between the two Koreas. They have agreed to break ground for the construction of a meeting place for reunions of separated families, and to promote cooperation in the agriculture and fishery sectors. The agreements will contribute to the progress of inter-Korean relations. The North asked the South for 400,000 tons of rice. It is estimated that the North will be in need of 1 million tons of rice this year. A vast number of North Koreans face the threat of famine. On humanitarian grounds alone, it is inevitable that the North will be provided with rice. What matters is whether active inter-Korean cooperation and aid to the North will contribute to a solution to the nuclear problem
15th Inter-Korean Ministerial Talks Close
Seoul, June 23 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The 15th north-south ministerial talks that opened in Seoul on June 22 came to a close Thursday. Through the talks the north and the south strikingly demonstrated internally and externally the new feature of the Korean nation joining efforts and cooperating with each other in the era after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration, away from the past framework whereby they quarreled with each other standing in confrontation to save their faces and found themselves locked in the meaningless arguments.
Koreas Agree on Nuclear-Free Peninsula
South, North to Hold Red Cross Talks in August
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter South and North Korea agreed on Thursday to take ``substantial measures'' to end the North's nuclear standoff in a peaceful manner with the ultimate goal being the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. ``The South and North agreed to take substantial measures to resolve the nuclear problem in a peaceful manner, using dialogue when the atmosphere has been created for the ultimate goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula,'' they said in a joint press statement.
Chung appeals to North for arms dialogue
June 23, 2005 ? In opening a new round of inter- Korean ministerial talks in Seoul yesterday, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young of South Korea asked his North Korean counterpart to address the issue of Pyongyang's nuclear arms program, but the entreaty drew no response. Instead, North Korea appealed for rice.
Talk not cheap with the North
June 24, 2005 ? Inter-Korean talks are pricey, with the current four-day session costing South Korea 400 million won ($395,804). Seoul would like to do it cheaper, officials say. The decision to hold this year's talks at Seoul's Walker Hill Hotel, for example, was taken after the South Korean government accepted bids for the right to hold the event. Providing a site for talks is considered a public relations boon for the successful applicant. In contrast with past talks, Pyongyang's chief negotiator, on this occasion Kwon Ho-ung, is staying not in a luxury suite but in a relatively modest guest room on the seventh floor, which costs 430,000 won per night. The other North Korean delegates are sharing rooms on the same floor. South Korean Minister Chung Dong-young, however, is staying in a special suite on the 17th floor at a cost of 3.5 million won a night. Seoul said the room is necessary for Mr. Chung to hold private meetings with the North Koreans.
Korean War abductions re-enacted
June 24, 2005 ? Families of people who were kidnapped by North Korean soldiers during the Korean War walked through much of Seoul and later rode north near the Demilitarized Zone this week, re-enacting the abduction of their loved ones, whom they have not seen since the war.
15th North-South Ministerial Talks Open
Seoul, June 22 (KCNA Correspondent) -- The 15th North-South Ministerial Talks were opened in Seoul today. The talks were addressed by the head of the north side and the chief delegate of the south side. Chief Cabinet Councilor of the DPRK Kwon Ho Ung, head of the north side, said: We are the companions who should travel by the same reunification boat called "By our nation itself" and reach the destination of a reunified country. To this end we should discard the outdated conception and head for cooperation and help on the basis of the bilateral recognition and respect as members of the same nation.
Mt. Kumgang to House Reunion Hall
South, North to Hold Red Cross Talks in August
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter South and North Korea agreed Thursday to begin construction of a permanent meeting place for the reunion of separated families at the North's Mt. Kumgang in August and to hold the 11th round of cross-border family reunions around Aug. 15. In the final session of the 15th round of inter- Korean ministerial talks in Seoul, they also agreed on a new round of Red Cross talks in August to address such humanitarian issues as the South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian abductees, who are believed to be still in the North.
Roh Sends Message to Kim Jong-il
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met North Korean officials at Chong Wa Dae yesterday to deliver his message to North's leader Kim Jong- il, calling for a strategic decision to give up his nuclear ambition, according to officials in Seoul.
Shooting Rampage Changes People's Attitude About Military Service
By Lee Yong-sung Staff Reporter Students of Kyungnam University in Masan, South Kyongsang Province, practice bayonet fencing during a mock military drill in Changwon, South Kyongsang Province, Wednesday. Following Sunday's shooting incident, many people's attitudes are changing toward compulsory military service. / Yonhap Sunday's shooting at an Army guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has influenced a change in opinion on those abandoning their Korean nationality to avoid compulsory military service. ``What do I have to do to avoid being drafted?'' an Internet user, identifying himself as a middle school student, posted on the bulletin board of Naver (www.naver.com), a local portal site
Female Presence Prominent in N. Korean Delegation
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter Kim Song-hye Kim Myong-hi Ro Kum-sun Three women are included in North Korea's 33- member delegation at this week's 15th round of inter-Korean ministerial talks in Seoul. It is the first time Pyongyang has sent female officials to a Cabinet-level meeting between the two Koreas. The women include two working-level officials and a journalist, the South's Unification Ministry said yesterday. But North Korea experts doubted that the inclusion signals a greater empowerment of women in the communist country's government.
There is only one female official in South Korea's core delegation.
Students of North and South Get Together in Mt. Kumgang
North, South Agree to Resume Ministerial Talks
Seoul to Send Delegation to Festival in Pyongyang, Offer Fertilizer to North
North and South Agree on Joint Event to Mark 5th Anniv. of "June 15 Declaration"
North and South Korea agreed to hold a celebration to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the "June 15 North-South Joint Declaration" in Pyongyang from June 14 to 17.
Exchange of Animals Helps Promote Inter-Korean Cooperation
He-hippopotamus "Dongbongi" and she-hippopotamus "Hasugi" Wallaby The Central Zoo of North Korea and the Seoul Grand Park of the South exchanged animals around the middle of April for the purposes of preventing near propagations. Exchange of animals is increasing between North and South Korea.
North Koreans arrive in Seoul to renew talks
June 22, 2005 ? A team of North Korean negotiators arrived in Seoul yesterday to renew long-suspended ministerial talks and encountered almost immediately a group of protesters bearing signs that said "axis of evil Kim Jong-il." The two Koreas are scheduled to hold four days of discussions. Cabinet Councilor Kwon Ho-ung led the North Korean delegation, which arrived at the Incheon International Airport yesterday afternoon on a direct flight from Pyongyang. The 33-member team includes journalists and support staff. "This is my country and my land," Mr. Kwon said upon arrival. "Please watch with anticipation." The group then departed for the Walker Hill Hotel, the venue for the talks. On the way they met demonstrators with signs atop their cars that denounced the North Korean regime led by Kim Jong-il. Lodging strong complaints with South Korean officials about the protesters, the North Koreans stopped their caravan near the hotel and said they would not enter the premises. It took South Korean officials 30 minutes to persuade them to continue on. Although the North Korean delegation started the formalities with a stern demeanor, the atmosphere quickly thawed as officials of both countries exchanged greetings.
Reunification Festival at Seoul National University
Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- A reunification festival of Seoul National University was reportedly held at the campus plaza on June 14 to mark the 5th anniversary of the publication of the June 15 joint declaration. The executive chairman of the June 15 Joint Meeting of the university and other speakers at the festival said they think again over the meaning of the joint declaration on the 5th anniversary of its publication and expressed the resolution to wage a dynamic struggle against the U.S. and war and for national cooperation.
North Side's Delegation Leaves for Seoul
Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- The north side's delegation led by Kwon Ho Ung, chief councilor of the DPRK Cabinet, left here by air Tuesday to participate in the 15th inter-Korean ministerial talks to be held in Seoul.
S. Korean Red Cross President and His Party Arrive
Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- South Korean Red Cross President Han Wan Sang and his party arrived here today. They were greeted at the airport with compatriotic feelings by Choe Song Ik, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society, and officials concerned.
Breakthrough Expected at Inter-Korean Cabinet Talks
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter South and North Korea opened minister-level talks in Seoul yesterday amid high expectations for progress in inter-Korean relations and on the protracted nuclear standoff. The 15th round of inter-Korean Cabinet talks, which follows a 13-month boycott of high-level dialogue by Pyongyang, kicked off with a dinner at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel hosted by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, South Korea's top representative for the four-day meeting. ``Today is the summer solstice and I think this is a sign that we must work hard to nurture inter-Korean relations, just as farmers tend their crops at this time of year,'' Chung urged his North Korean counterpart, Senior Cabinet Councilor Kwon Ho-ung, during the meeting. Kwon, who heads the five-member North Korean delegation, agreed and said he will work hard to make the meeting a success. The first full session of discussions starts today. Hopes are high for the talks following Friday's unexpected face-to-face meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and the South's unification chief in Pyongyang.
Skewed Judiciary Undermines Human Rights:
The prosecution in South Korea exercises near complete control over the pre-trial and trial process.
Article in Human Rights Features, South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, India
Defense minister must go
[EDITORIALS] The truth revealed yesterday about Sunday's shooting rampage at a guard post near the Korean border is shocking. The murder of eight fellow soldiers, by a private who had been verbally abused by his superiors, is devastating in itself. But the military investigation has further revealed that the private had planned to wipe out the entire platoon. He even fired another shot at one of his superiors, to make sure he was dead. What sort of place is this guard post? It is as close to the border as a soldier gets, only a few hundred meters from a North Korean guard post. The soldiers there must perform their duties without the slightest flaw, through strict discipline and strong bonds with fellow soldiers. Until now, much of the public may have assumed that such bonds existed. But at the frontlines of the nation's security, verbal abuse by superiors was rampant, and a tragedy occurred because a private on the receiving end became vindictive. This case therefore raises a problem even more serious than that of the suicides that occur in the military from time to time. It clearly shows that there are critical problems with our security. We can no longer rely on anything if an outpost on the inter-Korean border can crumble so helplessly.
Seoul sees new order in North
June 15, 2005 ? North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has largely revamped his inner circle over the past six years, replacing as many as 26 out of his 30 closest and most trusted officials in ministries and the military. According to a South Korean government document obtained yesterday by the JoongAng Ilbo, military officials have gained power in the Kim regime since the death in 1994 of Kim Il Sung, Mr. Kim's father and the founder of North Korea. Kim Jong-il's government was inaugurated officially in 1998, and his policy of "Military First" has supported the steady addition of military officials to the list of North Korea's power elite. Top military figures almost always accompany Mr. Kim when he tours the country. Economic officials, relatively young, have also gained power because they have been assigned to carry out the communist country's economic reform program and oversee experiments with capitalism.
Korea Times dossier on 5th anniversary of Pyongyang Summit
Park Jae-kyu: Best Supporting Actor in June 2000 Summit
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter Five years has passed since the top leaders of the two Koreas met for the first time. While Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il were the main actors in that historic summit, there were some other key figures playing supporting roles behind the scenes. And few would disagree that, Park Jae-kyu, 61, then unification minister and now president of Kyungnam University in Masan, was among the most outstanding. A dignified scholar, who dedicated more than half of his life to North Korean studies, Park is said to often tell his aides that he is a ``lucky man,'' as he _ besides his career as the unification minister _ had the additional ``glory'' of preparing for the historic summit in 2000. Born in Masan, South Kyongsang Province, Park studied in Fairleigh Dickinson University and the City University of New York in the United States during the 1960s, when he became absorbed in studying the Soviet economy. He made up his mind aboard an airplane on his way back home in 1970 to embrace the North Korean studies as his ``lifelong assignment.''
Former Unification Minister Park Jae-kyu, left, shakes hands with Kim Jong-il, chairman of North Korea's National Defense Commission, at Kim's ranch in a rural provincial area of the reclusive North on Sept. 1, 2000. / Courtesy of Kyungnam University While teaching students at Kyungnam University from 1973 as an assistant professor, he took charge of the university's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, which became the Mecca of North Korean studies along with the Graduate School of North Korean Studies he later founded.
S-N Ministerial Talks to Begin Tuesday in Seoul
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter South Korea hopes to discuss a variety of proposals generally agreed on in last week's meeting between its envoy and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, as official agendas for the upcoming inter-Korean ministerial talks, officials in Seoul said on Sunday. South and North Korea are set to open a cross-border meeting led by Cabinet ministers, which had been stalled for about 13 months since May last year, from June 21 to 24 in Seoul as the North has shown willingness to rejoin the six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program.
Breakthrough Expected at Inter-Korean Cabinet Talks
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter South and North Korea opened minister-level talks in Seoul Tuesday amid high expectations for progress in inter-Korean relations and on the protracted nuclear standoff. The 15th round of inter-Korean Cabinet talks, which follows a 13-month boycott of high-level dialogue by Pyongyang, kicked off with a dinner hosted by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, South Korea's top representative for the four-day meeting.
Most South Koreans Think Highly of Kim Jong-il's Remarks
SEOUL (Yonhap)_ More than 67 percent of South Koreans believe that last week's talks between their unification minister and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will help ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, a survey showed Sunday. [SK attitude NK]

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